How to use Microsoft Excel with Claude Code
You want Microsoft Excel inside Claude Code so it can audit workbook data quality, update a recurring forecast, review workbook feedback, and consolidate worksheet results — without you copy-pasting between tabs. Here is the whole setup, once.
Create your Microsoft Excel gateway
The gateway is the thing Claude Code connects to, and it is where you decide which Microsoft Excel tools an agent may use. You create it once and every client reuses it.
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Create an Arcade account
Sign up and open the dashboard. The free tier is enough to follow this through.
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Create an MCP Gateway and select your Microsoft Excel tools
In the dashboard, create a gateway and pick the Microsoft Excel tools you want to expose. The gateway is what your client connects to, and it is where tool access is decided.
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Copy your gateway URL
Every client below needs it.
https://api.arcade.dev/mcp/<YOUR-GATEWAY-SLUG>
Connect the gateway to Claude Code
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Add the gateway as a remote HTTP MCP server
claude mcp add arcade --transport http "<YOUR_ARCADE_GATEWAY_URL>"
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Verify it was added
claude mcp get arcade claude mcp list
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Try it out
Open Claude Code in your project and ask it to use one of your Microsoft Excel tools.
Full Claude Code guide in the docs steps verified 2026-08-13
Try these Excel prompts
Claude Code can now act on your Microsoft Excel account. Click a prompt to copy it.
Use Contextual Access policies to limit an agent to reading workbook data or require approval before it changes a cell, deletes a worksheet, or uploads a complete workbook.